Barnum climate

Barnum Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Moose Lake 1 Sse, 9 km from Barnum, elevation 1110 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Moose Lake 1 Sse. A median date has an even chance of a later freeze in spring, or an earlier one in fall.

The last spring freeze typically comes around May 12 and the first fall freeze around October 2, a growing season of about 144 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 24, first September 23
Median at 32°F
last May 12, first October 2
Median at 28°F
last April 30, first October 14

Last freeze in spring

The chance of a later freeze than the date shown. At 10 percent, one spring in ten still freezes after the date; planting after the 10 percent date for 32°F is the cautious choice.

Threshold10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FJun 5Jun 1May 30May 27May 24May 21May 18May 15May 10
32°FMay 26May 21May 17May 14May 12May 9May 5May 2Apr 28
28°FMay 13May 8May 4May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21Apr 15
24°FMay 1Apr 27Apr 24Apr 20Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 8Apr 5
20°FApr 22Apr 18Apr 14Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 3Apr 1Mar 27
16°FApr 17Apr 11Apr 7Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 19

First freeze in fall

The chance of an earlier freeze than the date shown. At 10 percent, one fall in ten freezes before the date.

Threshold10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FSep 10Sep 14Sep 17Sep 21Sep 23Sep 26Sep 28Oct 1Oct 5
32°FSep 20Sep 24Sep 28Oct 1Oct 2Oct 5Oct 8Oct 12Oct 17
28°FSep 30Oct 4Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 28
24°FOct 10Oct 15Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 9
20°FOct 21Oct 27Oct 31Nov 2Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 14Nov 18
16°FOct 31Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 21Nov 25

Growing season length

Days between the last spring and first fall freeze at each threshold, with the chance of a season at least that long.

Threshold10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°F140134129125122117113109102
32°F161156151148144139136130123
28°F183178173169165161157152146
24°F208201196192188184180174167
20°F227220216212208204200195188
16°F242236231227223219215210202

How often it gets that cold

The share of years with at least one night at or below each temperature.

36°F or colder
100% of years
32°F or colder
100% of years
28°F or colder
100% of years
24°F or colder
100% of years
20°F or colder
100% of years
16°F or colder
100% of years

Degree days

A degree day is one degree of the daily mean temperature beyond a base, for one day. Heating degree days count cold (the fuel a house burns), cooling degree days heat, growing degree days the warmth a crop needs; each crop has its own base.

Heating degree days, base 65°F
8,916
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
342
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,769
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,829
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,012
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,321
Growing degree days, base 60°F
757

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,69700
February1,40600
March1,16102
April720023
May3709160
June11653389
July26142581
August43108530
September22329275
October622152
November1,03802
December1,49400

What this means

NOAA computes these from the daily lows at the station over 1991-2020, fitting the dates of each year's last and first freeze to a distribution, so a date can be stated at any level of risk. 36°F is a frost risk for tender plants on a clear, calm night, since the ground cools below the air above it; 32°F is a freeze; 28°F is a hard freeze that kills most annuals.

The station is 9 km from Barnum. Low ground, valleys and open fields freeze earlier and later than a town center or a hillside.

More

Sources

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020, annual and seasonal normals for station USC00215598 (Moose Lake 1 Sse). Public domain.